Experiencing Earth hope in a question

On a recent outing to Santa Monica, I got pretty excited over a simple question. As I was browsing around the Barnes & Noble at the Third Street Promenade, I heard this question over and over again: “Would you like a bag because I have to charge you 10 cents for it?”

I spend so much time in Los Angeles that I almost forgot about Santa Monica’s plastic bag ban. Hearing that question was music to my ears!

It’s easy to lose “Earth hope,” as I like to call it, when you’re driving around Los Angeles and all you see is trash everywhere. The 405 north off-ramp for Culver Blvd. is especially tragic. Do people just throw trash out their car windows? I just don’t get it.

So after shopping in Santa Monica, I felt a glimmer of Earth hope again. At least people are taking action, even if it’s just one bag at a time, that’s still a big deal. According to the City of Santa Monica, that’s 26 million plastic bags a year no longer in circulation.

Earth Day is this Sunday and there’s tons of great events going on across the globe to celebrate. If you’re not feeling up for a big event, then maybe just do something as simple as shop in a city like Santa Monica. Support cities taking on the ocean’s plastic plague and don’t forget to bring your reusable bags!